Embrace Your Inner Child
by Mac-alicious
Summary: Leslie believes Jess should embrace his inner child. Teens, LDD.


**A/N: **Here's my latest one shot. I obviously found myself compelled to write a LDD fic (Leslie Doesn't Die). However, this is like a snapshot of their life (and in my head) and the inevitable nature of their relationship becoming romantic, and I don't touch on how she didn't die or the fact that she ever could have. So you can imagine any scenario you wish that involves Leslie living a long and happy life. Anyway, enjoy the oneshot. R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own.

**Embrace Your Inner Child**

Jess was on his way to his truck when a flash of blonde moved swiftly past him. He could have sworn she had to be running to move as fast as she was, but as he focused on her figure as she flittered toward the parking lot he could tell she wasn't. The movement was all off but he didn't want to believe she was doing what he thought she was doing. Jess picked up his pace to a slow jog to catch up with her.

"What are you doing, Leslie?" Jessie questioned, frowning slightly.

"Skipping," Leslie replied simply. She only spared her best friend one quick half glance out of the corner of her eye.

"Why?" Jess questioned further.

"It would do everyone good to skip more in their lives," Leslie answered. "You can't be sad when you're skipping, I've found."

"O-_kay_," Jess drew out the short syllables.

"You should skip with me," Leslie suggested, tilting her head to look at him.

Jess stopped in his tracks and Leslie stopped with him to hear his response. He shook his head, "We're seventeen years old. I'm not going to _skip_."

"Suit yourself," Leslie shrugged. She hitched her backpack further up her shoulders and began to skip in a circle around his stationary form.

Jess's head shot back and forth, keeping an eye on her as she continued to circle him, skipping the whole time. "Will you stop it?"

"Come on Jess," Leslie smiled widely, her eyes twinkling as she laughed. "Embrace your inner child."

"I think I did enough 'embracing of my inner child' when we were younger," Jess commented. "We created an entire fantasy world for ourselves…I think that should hold me over for the rest of my life when it comes to my inner child."

"Yes, but we were actually _children_ when we did that," Leslie taunted, "It doesn't count."

"I'm not going to skip," Jess repeated. "Can you please just stop and get in the truck? I really have to get home. My dad will skin me alive if I'm late again."

Leslie was still grinning widely when she game to a stop. Jess almost thought she was going to do what he asked for once in their lives, but as usual she didn't. She stepped closer to him with her eyes locked on his. The look in her eyes had him tempted to step backwards away from her, but he remained rooted to the spot. She was only a foot or so from him when she spoke softly.

"If you skip with me…" Leslie began as she picked up on of his hands in hers. She used his hand to twirl herself under his arm as she finished, "…I'll let you kiss me like you've wanted to all these years."

Jess's mouth fell open and he stuttered uncontrollably as he tried to come up with a fitting response. He opened his mouth but all that came out was a strangled croak. Leslie stepped back, snickering lightly. She reached out a hand and tapped under his chin to get him to close his mouth. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, as she waited for him to find his tongue. While he tried to collect himself, he preoccupied himself with taking her in from head to toe. Leslie had let her hair grow out and it now hung down to her back—but it was choppy, as if a six year old had hacked at it with safety scissors, and haphazardly partially tied up with a bright turquoise ribbon. She was wearing a neon pink t-shirt that was splotched with bleach stains, underneath one of his old flannel shirts that had its sleeves rolled up past her elbows. She had stolen it from his room a couple years prior when he claimed he had outgrown it. She had on a pair of denim shorts that on anyone else would have looked obscene, but on her petite figure looked just right. She was wearing mismatched neon knee socks and a pair of 'white' tennis shoes that he had drawn all over a few nights ago when they were supposed to be studying. She had been sitting on his bed with a book propped up on her knees and he had finished his homework, so he took her foot in his hand and began to doodle. Jess smiled as he realized that to an outsider her attire would be comical but to him it was just so _her_. It was everything he loved about her.

Jess cleared his throat, finally able to speak, "So…does this offer have anything to do with embracing my inner child?"

"No, it has more to do with embracing this…" Leslie tapped his chest, over where his heart was pounding hard against his ribs.

"To the truck and that's it…" Jess trailed off.

Leslie smiled, "Deal."

Leslie situated herself beside Jess and offered him her arm. He took a deep breath and hooked his arm with hers. She gave him a ready, set, go and began to move. His skipping was awkward but he kept up with her. And he had to admit she had been right—he felt happier as he skipped the remaining distance to his truck. Though, as he thought about it, it might have been more the anticipation of what was to come when he reached the destination. Leslie rushed him forward the last feet and they collapsed against the side of his truck. They shared one quick look and burst into laughter. When the laughter finally began to subside, Leslie inched closer to Jess.

"So, about our deal…" Leslie began.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to…" Jess put his hands up. "Just because I've liked you like that for a long time, it doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to think you would feel the same."

"Jess," Leslie shook her head, laughing lightly.

"You're laughing at me," Jess frowned.

"Yes I am," Leslie agreed, "Because you're being silly. Do you really think I would make a deal like that if I didn't expect to follow through? And if I expected to follow through wouldn't I have a reason to _want_ to?"

Jess shrugged, "I don't know. I can't always tell what's going on in that head of yours."

"Jess…" Leslie rolled her eyes. "I like you too. This was my way of getting you to do something about it because apparently I can't leave it to you to do it on your own. I mean it's been _how many_ years and you haven't made a move? I had to assume you weren't going t—"

Jess cut off her ramblings by swiftly leaning down to kiss her on her lips. After recovering from the slight surprise, Leslie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back eagerly. Jess's hands found the hem of the flannel shirt and used it to tug her close before wrapping his arms around her waist. He slowly began to ease out of the kiss, pressing light closed mouth kisses to each corner of her mouth before pulling away completely.

"So…do you have any other ideas about embracing our inner children?" Jess whispered with a lopsided grin. He raised one eyebrow in question.

Leslie rolled her eyes yet again and pushed him away playfully, "Get in the truck. I would prefer if you didn't get killed for being lat the same day we finally get ourselves together."

"But I'm embracing my inner child!" Jess exclaimed as he pulled open the driver's side door.

"Can you embrace your inner child whilst driving me home?" Leslie laughed as she slipped in the passenger seat.

Jess nodded, "As you wish, but after that tone, we'll see if I ever go skipping with you again."


End file.
